I am just beginning to learn about audio systems, and it seems one point of contention is the relevance of audio cable qualities. It seems that oxygen-free copper is pretty agreed upon, but how relevant is long-grain copper? Do longer cables (to say, surrounds/rears) need to be higher quality, given the length of transmission, or does the importance of mains and the center outweigh that difference, even if they are 1/3 or 1/4 the length of the cables for the rears? Are Chinese company cables (or copper suppliers) sketchy in a way which must be concerning?

Right now I am looking at 2 companies: Blue Jeans cable, recommended by a friend, and AudioQuest cable, recommended by the speaker dealer I am looking at. The system I am building is going to be ~$7k range, probably B&W with an Anthem integrated amp. On that cost/quality basis, can anyone recommend between these 2 cable companies, or recommend any other cables which you think would be a good fit? Thanks.

Very relevant to the scumbucket who is charging you a premium for it. But for you...

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Do longer cables (to say, surrounds/rears) need to be higher quality, given the length of transmission, or does the importance of mains and the center outweigh that difference, even if they are 1/3 or 1/4 the length of the cables for the rears?

The only relevant issue for speaker cables in most cases is resistance. Longer lengths mean higher resistance, so you want to use correspondingly thicker cables to offset that. Here's a very handy chart to help you figure out what you need.

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Are Chinese company cables (or copper suppliers) sketchy in a way which must be concerning?

Nope. 12-gauge copper wire is 12-gauge copper wire.

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Right now I am looking at 2 companies: Blue Jeans cable, recommended by a friend, and AudioQuest cable, recommended by the speaker dealer I am looking at. The system I am building is going to be ~$7k range, probably B&W with an Anthem integrated amp. On that cost/quality basis, can anyone recommend between these 2 cable companies, or recommend any other cables which you think would be a good fit? Thanks.

Wouldn't touch AudioQuest with a 10-foot pole. Typically dishonest cable company. Your dealer loves it, because he gets a nice profit off it. But AudioQuest's 12-gauge cable isn't any different than anybody else's 12-gauge cable. In fact, they probably buy it from the same plant.

I use Blue Jeans cables myself. They're an honest merchant. But basic suppliers like Monoprice and Parts Express are just as good.

BTW, my advice to you would be the same if you were assembling a $70K system.

If you can't explain how it works, you can't say it doesn't.—The High-End Creed

And lets not forget your local home improvement store. 12AWG zip cord makes good speaker cable.

FWIW the in-wall stuff in my house came from Parts Express, the rest from a variety of places none of which were expensive.

Any benefits of oxygen free copper and long grain copper for audio are due to miniscule reductions in resistance over equivalent electrolytic tough pitch (ETP) copper. And ETP copper has low enough resistance for the purpose already.

InTheHolodeck, so far, you've gotten all the advices you need for the proper cabling of audio system. Now, be forewarned that there are boutique cable vendors trying to shill for their products with fancy terminologies and hyped up tech talks. Also, there are trolls with too much free time on their hands posting BS just to stir things up. Learn to spot and filter their words.

In Texas, the term is "sh*t disturber". Walking through a field kicking cow paddies when you don't have to is frowned on.

Although any real farmer worth a salt lick knows that having the crap spread around is necessary. Spent many a summer driving a tractor with 50 foot harrows breaking up and spreading out cow crap. Hated it.

Matt

"The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live." - George Carlin

Although any real farmer worth a salt lick knows that having the crap spread around is necessary. Spent many a summer driving a tractor with 50 foot harrows breaking up and spreading out cow crap. Hated it.

Agreed. IMHO, just answer a question without encouraging the bulls to charge. Or... being a "bringer of storms".

You think those cable shills start posting because I warned a new member who asks about audio cable? I started warning newbies / potential cable purchasers after seeing those shills do their thing to anyone they think can be swayed. Any cable shills who post after the warning to OP will look that much more obvious and if anything, the warning will be a deterrent to them.

My company buys millions of dollars in cable (not audio) a year. A couple of years back we were given a tour of one of the local manufacturer's factories, and spying the spools of 8mm diameter copper wire from the foundry, I asked about purity. he replied, "Do you know what four 9's means?". I replied that I did, and later he expanded that that was the tested minimum purity they got (too noisy where we were).